Apparatus for treating oleaginous materials.



W. C. MERRILL. APPARATUSFOR TREATING OLEAGINOUS'MATERIALS.

APPLICATION IILED JUNE 24, 1000. 1,050,485, Patented Jan. 14,- 1913.

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EN A .mm 5 a. %L M\ h a cam 4 W. G. MERRILL. APPARATUS FOR TREATING OLEAGINOUS MATERIALS.

Patented Jan. 14, 1913.

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APPLICATION FILED JUNE 24, 1909.

W. 0. MERRILL. APPARATUS FOR TREATING OLEAGINOUS MATERIALS. APPLICATION FILED JUNE 24. 1909.

1,050,485, I Patented Jan. 14,1913.

3 SHEETS-SHEET 3.

whim (521% WILLIS C. MERRILL, OF BOSTON, MASSACHUSETTS.

APPARATUS FOR TREATING- OLEAGINOUS MATERIALS.

Specification of Letters Patent. Original application filed August 5, 1908, SerialNo. 447,085.

Divided and this application filed June 2%,

Serial No. 504,105.

To all whom it may concern Be it known that I, WILLIS C. MERRILL, of Ro'xbury, Boston, in the county of Sufiolk and-State of Massachusetts, haveinvented certain new and useful Improvements in Apparatus for Treating Oleaginous Materials, of which the following is a spec1fication.

My invention relates to new and useful improvements in apparatus for treating oleaginous materials such as fish or fish scraps, animal ofi'al or the like, such as city garbage which consists of waste animal and vegetable material from the kitchens of private houses, hotels, etc. As is well known, garbage accumulates rapidly and must be frequently removed, especially in summer, to prevent it from becoming ofiensive and dangerous to the health of the public.

In many large cities it is still the custom to dispose of garbage in unsanitary ways, such as dumping it intothe adjacent waters, plowing it into the ground, or feeding it to food animals. In all these cases, the public health is endangered and a nuisance created, and when it is dumped into the sea it is objectionable for the reason that much of it floats and is washed ashore. This dumping into the sea is further objectionable for the reason that the pollution of the waters causes the food fishes toleave their feeding grounds.

By my inc roved apparatus for the treatment of gar age, as an example, it is deposited in digcsters or tanks which when filled to a proper height are hermetically sealed and the inclosed material is then subjected to the action of live steam for a sulficient time to disassociate and disintegrate the mass causing the separation of the oleaginous material from the fibrous or inorganic and the grease or oleaginous matter rises to the top of the mass by reason of the differences in specific gravity of the materials in the tank. After the mass has been treated for a suficient time to cause the separation, as above stated, the process is continued by cutting ofi the steam and introducing Water to the mass which causes the lighter products to still further ascend passing from the digester or tank throu h pro. er connections to a suitable receptac e. A ter the grease has been separated from the mass, as above described, the digester is tilted or revolved until the neck of the tank is in intimate relation with and the mass passes to the press, where an additional amount of Water and grease is expressed from the same, and the solid mass or tankage left in the press is removed and sold for fertilizer purposes. The tank is then further revolved to bring the open neck over a suitable receptacle, where crockery, glass and other inorganic matter is dumped. The tank is then returned to its original position to receive anew charge for treatment. i

In housekeeping, ganic articles such crockery, spoons,

many foreign o'r inoras oyster shells, broken iron and stones find their .way into the garbage and are the cause of expense and annoyance in the operamuch tion of, utilization or reduction plants. To overcome this, the tank is slowly tilted or decanted permitting these heavy or foreign and inorganic articles to sink to the bottom and keeps them from the press; such foreign substances have a detrimental eflect on the value of the residue or byproduct, as tankage, as they cause annoyance in the manufacture of the fertilizer from the product.

@ne of the principal objects of this apparatus is to first separate as much light grease as possible from the mass before the tilting of the tank takes place, and then tank and dump the material into the press where 'it is subjected to pressure and more grease is expressed, leaving the tankage as free as possible from grease. In thisapparatus, the contents of the tank are retained at its cooking temperature, and the operation of the press made more effective, as the hotter this mass in the press, the more complots the separation.

in the accompanying drawings which illustrate a construction embodying my invention, Figure 1 is a diagrammatic view of the plant embodying my invention, and showing the tank in its revolving position on its way to do osit the mass for treatment into the press a er as much grease has been removed from the top of the cooked mass in the digestcr as possible. Fig. 2 is a side ele- Patented J an. 114%, i913.

to tilt the ration of one of the tanks showing same in tulle lines in the position it occupies When swivel joint with the pipe Ct so that the tank it may be revolved. T here 15 also prothe material has been introduced for treatment. 3 is a, sectional view ot' one of the tanks showing the pipe through which steam is first admitted to cook the material and through Which after the steam is cut o't'i Water is admitted to lift as much grease as possible to the top for removal. Fig. t is a sectional view ot the separator which re ceives the grease from the presses after separation oi the grease and Water. 5 is a sectional view of the Water tower or scrubber to condense the vapors rising from the t5 hot pressed. mass from the presses. Fig. 6 a detail view partly in section showing tl e joint between the top of the digester and the chamber located above (and also in the dotted lines Fig. 2) the connection of as the digester and the press.

Like characters of reference refer to like parts throughout the several views.

The digester or tanker consists of the metallic shell 1 and the outer covering 2 of asbestos or other heat-insulating material and the inner lining 3 of tile or cement for preventing Wear on the metallic parts due to the action of acids gases eto. rising from "l or other material under treat- The upper end of the digester is provvith a, neck A secured in place by :ovid ol with the usual manhole covered e of usual construction; there is we openings 6 in the bottom ester which 1112. provided with s Secured on oppothe shell 1 by suitable boltv LC which are secured the oppojournals 1B which located in arsported by posts E which in tun by cross t i end i the ro the ptates ole bolts' t and the bottom of said. tankvided in said pipe 8 the reducing" valve G The pipe G leading from the boiler G: has a main controlhng valve G as shown where- 2 by all the steam in the boiler may be out oft from the apparatus it desire With the parts in the position shown in full lines Fig. 2, it it be desired to load the digester it With garbage or like material to w be treated, the valve B being closed and the valve it open, the tank or digester It is tilted slightly to bring the neck it" from alinement With the valve casing A which is done (lliig. 6) by removing the bolts it", fiber packing A and metal packing it and A The material being treated is then dumped into the tank A until it is loaded to the proper capacity, when the tank is swung back into the position shown in toll 1, lines Fig. 2, and the packing and bolts referred to are restored to the positions shown in Fig. 8 The valve A is then closed and the valve i opened so that the steam passes from the boiler through the pipes G", G, a GE G G and into the bottom of the digester below the material. The material is cooked some three or four hours as required to separate the grease and other constituent parts, the steam having been cut off at the not proper time. '"lhe valve A is then opened, and. also the valve to afford conimuuiica,- tion between the digester A and the grease chamber The inspirator H of usu eonstruotio'n is then operated to cause hot to flow from the boiler through nines and thence valve G M of percola ioa over through the w receptacle 3 provide eive-oontrollecl outlet vin a sui i "e it hot Wat Water 5 1e chamber sut i cient chamher and being drained of? suitable diameter to equal the by reason of the hot water entering into the the separator M bottom of the chamber B from the pipe H controlled by the valve 10. At the proper time, or when the grease has been floated out of the chamber B, the valve 10 may be closet} or the inspirator fl shut off.

'With t'iievalves A and B closed, the bolts A and packmgs A, A and A are removed, and the digester is revolved -or tilted to bring the neck A and valve chamber A into alinement with the pipe J 5 of the hydraulic press J as indicated in dotted lines Fig. The valve casing A has been omitted in Fig. l in order not to hide in the drawing the other parts of the apparatus, but the connection is clearly shown in dotted lines Fig. 2. The valve casing A and pipe J are connected in identically the same manner as shown in Fig. 6 forming a tight joint between the two, previous to opening the valve A when this joint has been made, the valve A is opened and the cooked mass with such grease as has not passed over by floating, as above described, passes into the pipe J and press J where the grease is pressed out and passes by the pipe J into the sluiceway M thence into tank P. It is then taken by the pipe 7& and pump it and forced into the pipe h thence into the pipe if provided with a suitable gate valve if and thence into the separator M (see Figs. 1 and 4). The combined grease and water with such flocculent matter as escapes from the press are admitted to the separator M and separate into their constituent parts of difl'erent specific gravity, the heavier parts going into the flexible basket M secured in the box M The separator M is surrounded with a suitable heat-insulating or non-radiating material M so that the heat may be retained therein for the complete separation of the constituent parts. v

The water and grease are separated by the difference in specific gravity, the grease going to the top through the strainer'M through the pipe N (having a suitable valve N into the receptacle N provided with a suitable valve controlled outlet N the water remaining in the separator until such time as it is desired to remove the flexible basket containingthe heavier products, at which time the gate valve L is opened and the water passes down throughthe pipe M from the chamber M into the elbow M through the valve L and then through the pipe L to a suit able outlet sewer or otherwise. To provide for exigencies, the pipe M is provided of inflow of combined material entering through the pipe 76 and provides an overflow into the sluiceway M (Fig.4) returning to the tam: P and then repeating the operation of separation; This pipe M extends upwardly from the top of the settling and then downwardly and empties into the sluiceway M as stated.

The chamber M has a suit-able door through which the flexible basket M may be removed to be cleaned out, and the contents together with the solid residue left in the press is removed for further treatment for fertilizer or otherwise.

The vapors rising from the solid mass in the press J are conducted through the pipe J into the scrubbing tower J 7 passing around the bailie plates J over which a suitable amount of water from the spray K runs from the pipe J 9 (connected to the main water supply J and having a suitable controlling valve J) and making a water curtain through which the vapors pass up and out through the pipe J and down into the exhaust fan a through which they pass by the pipe e under the grate of the furnace f.

From the bottom of the scrubbing tower J there leads a pipe L having a suitable controlling valve L and through the pipes L and L the water used as a condensing medium for the vapors from the scrubbing tower J flows to a sewer or suitable outlet. The flow of water and condensed vapors through the pipe L receives a mixture of disinfectant fluid from the container C through a pipe 0* provided with suitable controlling valves leading from it.

The pump 9 receives its steam from the pipes C and J, which latter is suitably con-: trolled by valve J, the pump 9 being, used: to exert pressure on the press J operating? the plunger or piston to compress the mass to express the grease and water from the mass in a manner similar to the hydraulic presses now in use; the pump 9 receives its water from the water main J through pipe J and by the pipe 5 passes to the press. This pump 9 has the usual exhaust d The steam passing through the pipe 0 is drawn into the pipe .5 and acts as a vacuum in assisting the pump it tq lift the load from the tank P which receives the greas from the press J". The fan a and pump it are operated respectively by the belts t and driven by the shaft 0 operated by a suitab motor a.

Before tilting the digester A as previously described, sufiicient water is drawn off from the draw-ofis 7 connected at 6 so that the liquid will fall below the valve A permitv;

ting the tank to be tilted.

From the pipe J leads the pipe J into the top of the pump it which is a means of priming the pump with water to assist in the starting operation for lifting the load. The pipe J is provided with a valve J The vapors are prevented from escaping into the atmosphere from the press after the digester is disconnected from the press and during the operation of pressing by the action of the exhaust fan a which creates a rue said liquids from said medium to said material to :cook the same and separate it into its constituent parts, means for introducing liquid to said cooked mass to float the grease therefrom into a suitable receptacle, mechanism for tilting said digester after said grease-floating operation, a press into which the cooked mass is dumped upon the discharge mouth of the digester being brought into alinement with said press, a pump for operating said press to express the grease, and other liquids from said cooked mass, an outlet for said liquids from said press and leading to a settling tank, a separator into which the material is led from said settling tank to separate the grease from the water and other materials of greater specific gravity, a receptacle for receiving the grease from said separator, a conduit for leading the water from said separator, a pipe for leading the vapors from the press to a scrubbing tower, a pipe for leading the condensed vapors to a suitable l 'u'tlet, and a pipe for leading the noncondnnsed vapors from the scrubbing tower to a furnace.

5. In an apparatus of the character described, a digester for treating oleaginous materials, a valve for closing said digester after the material to be treated has been introduced, means for introducing a cooking medium to cook the same and separate it into its constituent parts, means for introducing liquid to said cooked mass to float the grease therefrom into a receptacle.- mechanism for tilting said digester after said grease-floating operation, a ress into which the cooked mass is dumped upon the discharge mouth of said digester being brought into alinement with said press, and a receptacle independent ofthe press and i to which the inorganic material is deposii ed from the digester.

6. In an apparatus of the character described, a digester for treating oleaginous materials, a valve for closing said digester after the material to be treated has been introduced, means for introducing a cooking medium to said materialto cook the same and separate it into its constituent parts, means for removing the grease from the top of said digester, mechanism for tilting said digester after the grease-removing operation, a press into which the cooked mass is dumped upon the discharge mouth of said digester being brought into alinement with said press, a pump for operating said press to express the grease and other liquids from said cooked mass, an outlet for press and leading to a settling tank, a separator into which the material is led from said settling tank to separate the grease from the water and other materials of greater specific gravity, a receptacle for receiving the grease from medium to said material to cook after the said separator, and a suitable conduit for leading the water from said separator,

7. In an apparatus of the character'described, a digester for treating oleaginous materials, a valve for closing said digester after the material to be treated has been introduced, means for introducing a cooking the same and separate it into its constituent parts, means or removing the grease from the top of said digester, mechanism for tilting said digester after said grease-removing operation, a press into which the cooked mass is dumped upon the discharge mouth of said digester being brought into alinement with said press, a pump for operating said press to express the grease and other liquids from said cooked mass, an outlet for said liquids from said press and leading to a settling tank, a separator into which the material is led from said settling tank to separate the grease from the water and other materials of' greater specific gravity, a receptacle for receiving the grease from said separator, a suitable conduit for leading the water from said separator, and a suitable basket or receptacle into which the other materials of lected and removed from theseparator.

8. In an apparatus of the character described, a digester for treating oleaginous materials, a valve for closing said digester after the material to be treated has been introduced, means for introducing a cooking medium to said material to .cook the same and separate it into its constituent parts, means for removing the grease from the top of said digester. mechanism fortilting said digester after said grease-removing operation, a press into which the cooked mass is dumped upon the discharge mouth of said digester being brought into alinement with said press, apump for operating said press to express the grease and other liquids from said cooked mass, an outlet for said liquids from said press and leading to a settling tank, a separator into which the material is led from said, settling tank to separate the grease from the water andother materials of greater specific gravity, a receptacle for receiving the grease from said separator, a conduit for leading the water from said separator, a pipe, for leading the vapors from the top of the digester to a condenser, and a pipe for leading the condensed vapors to a suitable outlet.

9. In an apparatus of the character described, a digester for treating oleaginous materials, a valve for closing said digester material to be treated has been introduced, means for introducing a cooking medium to said material to cook the same and separate it into its constituent parts, means for removing the grease from the top greater specific gravity are 001-.

of said digester, mechanism for tilting said digesten after said greaseremoving operation. a press into which the cooked mass is dumped upon the discharge mouth of the digester being brought into alinement With said press, a pump tor operating said press to express the grease and other liquids from said cooked mass, an outlet. for said liquids from said press and leading to a settling tank, a separator into which the material is led from said settling tank to separate the grease from the Water and other materials of greater specific gravity, a receptacle for receiving the grease from said separator, a conduit tor-leading the Water from said separat r. a pipe for leading the vapors trom the press to a scrubbing tower, a pipe for leading the condensed vapors to a suitable outlet. and a pipe for leading the non-condensed vapors from the scrubbing tower to a furnace.

to. in an apparatus ot the character described. a digester, means tor closing said digester utter the material to be treated has been introduced, means for introducing a cooking medium to separate said material into its constituent parts means for removing grease from the top of said digester, mechanism for removing the cooked mass and inorganic material. separately from said digester, a press into which the cooked mass is received and a receptacle independent of the press and into which the inorganic material is received.

11. in an apparatus of the character described, a digester, means for closing said digester after the material to be treated has been introduced, means for introducing a cooking medium to separate said material into its constituent parts, mechanism for removing the cooked mass and inorganic material separately from said digester, a press into which the cooked mass is received from the digester, and means for securing the discharge mouth of the digester in alinementwith said press during the discharge of the cooked mass.

12. in an apparatus of the character described, a digester, a valve for closing said digester after the material to be treated has been introduced, means for introducing a cooking medium to separate said material into its constituent parts, means for remot ing the grease from the top of said digester, mechanism for tilting said digestcr after the gr ase removing operation, a press into which the cooked mass is dumped upon the discharge mouth of said digestcr being brought into alinelnent with said press, and a receptacle independent of the press and into which the inorganic material is discharged from the digester.

in testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification in the presence ot' two subscribing witnesses, this 21st day of June, A. D. 1909.

WILLIS C. MERRILL. il itnesses:

A. L. lrlessinn J. S. RUSK. 

